SINGLE-DAD HOMES HAVE MORE DRUG WOES

Sixth to 12th-graders who live in single-dad homes are more likely than
others to use drugs, according to a survey released Thursday.

The survey, done by a division of an Atlanta-based anti-drug organization,
also found that high schoolers' use of such drugs as heroin, Ecstasy and
marijuana increased -- reversing a three-year decline in overall drug use.
Meanwhile, cigarette and alcohol use dropped to a 13-year low.

The survey was conducted at schools that contracted with PRIDE Surveys --
an arm of the Parents' Resource Institute for Drug Education -- during the
2000-2001 academic year. More than 75,000 students nationwide answered
questionnaires anonymously.

This was the 14th annual survey but it was the first time it broke down the
numbers to look at children who live with their mothers only, fathers only
and stepparents.

The survey found that 38.4 percent of students who lived with their fathers
only said they used drugs. The percentages for other family structures
were: father and stepmother, 31.9 percent; mother and stepfather, 29.8
percent; mother only, 28.3 percent; and both parents, 20.4 percent.

Thomas Gleaton, who headed the study, said the results aren't meant to bash
fathers. Rather, he said, they reflect the importance of a mother's role.
"The farther the mother gets away, the more difficult it becomes for the
child," Gleaton said.

www.pridesurveys.com